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Community Corner

Great Escape: Newport...in February?

Our writer was expecting Newport in winter to be cold and expensive, but was delighted to feel pampered on a budget.

Last year, in February of all months, one of my best friends got married in Newport. When I received the invite, I thought to myself, “Newport? In February? This isn’t going to be much fun.” February’s weather is famous for bitter winds and unpredictable snow storms. So the thought of going to Newport for a long “vacation” weekend was not very appealing. But I came to find out I was very wrong.

My first misconception was the idea that Newport, with its Gilded Age feeling of yesteryear, was going to be out of my financial league as a weekend destination. But I quickly discovered it was well within our “average person” budget without even the need to skimp. 

Although most of the wedding guests stayed in the hotel in which the wedding was being held, my husband and I decided to go against the norm. Instead, we stayed at a beautiful little bed and breakfast called 1 Murray House. It was perfect because it had everything you’d ever need and want in order to have a relaxing and romantic weekend.

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It's impossible to pinpoint the one best feature of 1 Murray House. I fell in love with the private breakfast served to us in our room, the wonderful hot tub for two and the private patio. Our time there was absolutely flawless.

And I was so excited to find that Newport in the winter had so much more to do than I had ever expected.  We spent an entire day roaming all over the beachfront community, taking in the gorgeous sights. One day started at one of our nation’s most amazing mansions.  My husband and I found Rosecliff to be one of the more enlightening and historically educational destinations of our weekend. For a moment in time, I felt as if I was I was viewing the world as a carefree socialite of the early 1900s. What a way to escape reality, right?

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Since we were in this quaint town on the sea, we decided to find a restaurant that had a low-key, beach environment and served seafood.  That wasn't hard hard to find in Newport. We thoroughly enjoyed lunch at . The prices were right and the atmosphere was laid back. The best part was that the restaurant is located right in the center of everything fun—right in the midst of historical Thames Street in downtown Newport. 

We had one of the best weekends of our lives, walking through the town, enjoying the sights with the ability to fully relax and enjoy quality time together without the hustle and bustle of summer traffic.  The best part about it is that not only is Newport a hop, skip and a jump away, but it's full of amazing, romantic, relaxing and even enlightening sites to see…even in the middle of winter.  The only difference was that instead of wearing flip flops and shorts, we wore hats and gloves.

So shake off those winter blues with a visit to Newport. You won’t regret it.  

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